As an ardent barefoot and minimalist shoe advocate I am of the throw away or do not buy over engineered and over priced shoes school of thought. For those not into purchasing one of the minimalist shoes or going barefoot in the gym invest in a pair of Aquasocks or other beach shoes which are on blow out this time of year.

I love weight lifting in Vibram VFFs, and barring that, minimalist running shoes. Having less padding means better proprioception and a really solid foot/ground connection. With the VFFs, the toes can be used for stability on squats and deadlifts. Basically, less padding is better, IMO. I wear my NB Minimus shoes to the gym because they're a good compromise for running on the TM without being too padded for weights/kettlebells (and don't look as dorky as VFFs)

Shoes do provide a more stable platform for lifting, but going barefoot will work your feet and ankle muscles more - especially for single-legged exercises. Minimalist shoes may provide more grip while still working the lower legs/

If you are looking at all-round functional fitness, barefoot is probably the better option. If you are looking at pure thigh strength, then shoes might be preferrable.

I used to keep a pair of Chuck Taylors in my gym bag for squats. Do they really make a difference.... I don't know. Maybe a little bit. If you have a pair already, try them out. I may go back to them someday. For now I'm okay with regular cross trainers (Asics in my case).

The weightlifting shoes that you can order I believe are intended for Olympic weightlifting not the powerlifting and weight training type exercises that most of us round here do.

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